Vacuum cleaner



' "o for driving said worm to rotate the fan 12 tating said drum in cable rewind:ing?'dira u .PatentedM'an 1933 I l l v UNITED STATES mrlmrl oF-Fics l' HENRYYI KEITH. or mmusnone, ILLINoI's n I Application ma november s, 1931. senaat. 573,221.

While the present disclosure of the invenwhen the shaft 15 is driven in one direction.

. tion relates to a vacuum cleaner, the inven- A cable drum 18 is freely rotatable upon tion could be used with advantage in connecthe shaft 15, and av cable 19 is wound upon tion with ioor sweepers, Hoor waxers, or even said drum.4 This cable extends rearwardly lawn mowers, for the ist of the invention refrom thecarriage 5 and is adapted to be held 55 sides in novel means or driving a rotatable by the operator, so that when the carriage is member mounted upon a wheeled carriage, pushed forwardly, the cable will unwind and said carriage being provided with a rearrotate the drum 118. Preferably, a rubber wardly projecting handle by means of which pad or plate 20 or an equivalentmember of it may be moved forwardlyvand rearwardly.' Some other material is connected with the G0 Y It is the object of the invention to provide rear end of the cable 19 to be held by one of I unique means for driving the rotatable memthe operators feet as shown in Fig. 1. A ber (whether a. vacuum cleaner fan, floor ratchet connection 21 is provided between waxer or brush, or a rotary cutter) without the drum 18 and the shaft 15, so that rotathe aid of an electric motor, thereby production of said drum under the inuence of the @5 ing a structure which'may be used to advancable 19, will be transmitted to the shaft 15, tage in localities in which electric current is causing the elements 17, 14 and 13 to rapidly not available., rotate the fan 12, said ratchet connection per With the foregoing in view, the invention mitting said shaft 15 and the elements 17, 14,r

resides in the novel subject matter herein- 13 and l2, to over-run said drum 18, when 70 after described and claimed, description bethe forward movement of the carriage stops. ing accomplished by reference to the accom- Upon each rearward return movement of the panying drawing. carriage, a spring 22 which connects the drum Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a vac- 18 with the shaft 15, rotates said drum in the uum cleaner embodying the invention. reverse direction, thereby .rewin'dingthe ca '35 Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal ble 19. The action of this spring by eecting sectional view through the carriage and assowinding of the cable upon the drum, also asciat'ed parts. sists in rearwardly returning the carriagey Fig. 3 vis avertical transverse sectional view toward the operator. y' 1 substantially online 3--3 of Fig. 2. Whether the invention be embodied in a 80 In the drawing above brieiiy described, the vacuum cleaner or in some other sort of mauumeral 5 denotes a carriage provided with chine, having a rotary member to be driven, two front wheels 6 and a rear caster wheel 7, it is sim ly necessary to move the carriage said carriage being equipped with a rearto and ro, to rapidly drive said rotatable wardly projecting handle 8 by means of member, and the construction is such that which it may be moved to and fro. In the the machine may be operated with ease. present showing, the carriage 5 embodies a Numerous variations ma be made over the suction nozzle 9 and a fan housing 10 commu- .present disclosure and obviously all movable nicating with said nozzle and discharging parts may be encased if desired. 4G into a conventionai dust bag 11. The hous- Iclaimzv Y ing 10 contains a fan 12 whose shaft 13 prol machine 0f the ClaSS dsribe 003391115'. jects rearwardly beyond the housing 10 and lng a carriage having a rotatable work-peris provided with a steeply pitched worm 14. forming member, a drum rotatably mounted Transverse to the shaft 13, is another'shaft on said carriage and having a driving con- 15 which in the present showing is 'behind nection withsaid rotatable member, a cable 5 the housing 10 and mounted in appropriate wound on said drum and adapted to be unbearings 16 carried by said housing. The wound for rotating said drum in a direction shaft 15 is provided with a steeply pitched to drive said member, a. spring-wound by worm wheel 17 meshing with the worm. 14 drum-rotation in said directioriiflv-te'ro;

tion, a handle formoving said carriage forwardly and rearwardly while holding the rear end of said cable ixedl and a footplate on the rear 'end of said ca le upon which y 5 the operator stands to hold the cable end;

whereby said cable and drum will drive said rotatable member and wind said spring each time the carriage is pushed forwardly, and

the wound spring, drum and cable will assist 10 in rearwardly returnin said carriage. A

In testimony whereo I aix my signature.`

HENRY M.v KEITH. 

